


And the Living is Easy

by BlackIris



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Panic Attacks, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 05:48:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13474962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackIris/pseuds/BlackIris
Summary: With all that Tony’s been through, sometimes he has bad days. Luckily, like most things, there’s protocol for that.





	And the Living is Easy

**Author's Note:**

> Angst, comfort, fluff, panic attack – if this isn’t your thing or might trigger you, please don’t read. 
> 
> As much as I love the various characters that Marvel has given us, Tony will always hold a special place in my heart. He’s the reason I got into the MCU. And I just wanted to show the character a little love, a little panic too, but mostly a little love. 
> 
> Unbeta'd, enjoy!

A peppy up beat song floats through the garage; slightly odd but not unusual for Tony’s main work space to be filled with music. The difference this time, is the style of music. 

“Hm?”

Tony wanders through the would-be-mess-to-anyone-but-him-and-F.R.I.D.A.Y. and sees Gabe, his newbie tech singing more than working. 

“Let me kick it like it’s 1986 now!” 

“Where you even alive then?” Tony asks, cocking his head to the side, making Gabe jump and drop a wrench he’d been using as a mic. “Also, don’t touch my music. F.R.I.D.A.Y. be a dear and humor me.”

“On it boss.” Guns N Roses’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ begins to play over Gabe’s music, quickly drowning it out. Causing a genuine smile to form on Tony’s face.

“Sorry, sir.” Gabe sheepishly replies, stooping to pick up the dropped item. 

“No, no. Don’t ‘sir’ me, that’s Cap department.” 

“Right. Sorry.” 

“Okay. What do you have for me?” 

“Well, I was waiting to see what you thought, but..” Gabe starts pulling up projections of new looking specs all around them. “This is what I have so far. I thought this could go with this. And then you can take this out, so ya know, then something like New York won’t be so bad were it to happen again..” 

Tony lightly huffs at the mention of New York, but Gabe keeps talking, and moving plans around; he’s so energetic that he doesn’t realize that Tony’s barely listening any more. To Tony, every other sentence is New York this, New York that. He doesn’t know if Gabe is actually saying New York that constantly, but his over worked brain is supplying him with that trigger on repeat regardless. 

“But yeah, that’s about it. What do you think? Stark? Hello?” Gabe clears his throat, looking questioningly at Tony. 

“Sorry. No. Um.” Tony shakes his head, trying to clear it from the flashes of crumbling buildings that threaten to overtake his brain. “Take me through the last part again.” 

“Okay.. So, I thought, for in situations like New York – “

“Stop.” Tony holds a hand up, trying to steady his breathing. 

“Wha– “ 

“Boss?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimes in. 

“No. No, it’s good. We’ll talk about it later. With Cap.” 

“Okay.. but what do you think?” 

Tony looks down to his hands, he can’t stop their shaking. The realization that he can’t stop it this time becomes much to real to him. 

“Woah, are you okay? What happened?” 

Tony turns away from Gabe. Unable to see straight, tools and projects blur in his vision. It’s happening again. Over and over, the images are replayed in his head. Screams and explosions play out in his mind. Louder and louder, like drums, drums in the deep. 

“I can’t. Just stop.. Stop it.” Tony huffs out breath after breath, trying to calm himself. The reaction is counterintuitive, rattling his already frayed nerves. His resolve slips fully, his breaths going from raspy to ragged, startling Gabe into panic mode. 

“What do I do? Stark! Dude. Come on, tell me what to do!”

Tony, unable to hear Gabe’s shouts and concerns as his blood rushes through his ears, hoarsely says “Seventeen, seven-teen. S-s-seventeen.”

“Got it, Boss. Protocol Seventeen in motion. Gabe, I suggest you leave.” 

Tony shakily makes it to the corner of a work station, leaning against it, sliding down the cool metal to collapse on the floor. 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. what protocol is that? What’s wrong, what do I do?” 

“I suggest you leave now, Mr. Stark will contact you when he wishes to go over your plans with the Captain.” 

“No. Wait. What should I do?” 

“Leave. Before security is needed to take you.” 

“Okay, okay fine.” 

Gabe’s interaction with F.R.I.D.A.Y. barely goes noticed by Tony in his crouched stance. Shortly after Gabe leaves, the low click of the doors locking and Tony’s ragged breathing are the only noises in the usually noisy garage. 

 

\----

 

Y/N is typing out a report with Steve looking over her shoulder, he tells her a few details to add from time to time.

“You’re lucky I don’t mind being your personal secretary, Rogers.” Y/N sasses as she finishes the document. 

“Your words not mine. Besides, try going from typing on a type writer, with force, to a key board where you barely press the keys, if there are any actual keys!”

She laughs, remembering the time he almost broke a keyboard shortly after thawing out. “Yeah, you did crack more than a few keys your first go around. Good thing we started you out with a regular keyboard and not a touch screen.” 

“No one warned me.” Steve shakes his head, an innocent look washes over his face.

“Fine. You have a point.” She smirks, enjoying that the work day is at a close. “So, any plans tonight?” 

“Well, I – “ 

“Agent (Y/N). Captain Rogers. I apologize for interrupting, but I have an urgent matter.” Friday’s smooth voice enters the room, cutting Steve off. 

“By all means, go ahead, F.R.I.D.A.Y.” Steve immediately replies, his Captain voice coming out at the A.I.’s words of ‘urgent matter.’ 

“The matter is for (Y/N). Code Seventeen.”

(Y/N) stands up forcefully, on full alert. “Where?” 

“Garage.”

“Lock down?”

“Yes. As usual, – “ 

“Thanks F.R.I.D.A.Y.” 

Before Steve can get a word in edge wise she’s sprinting out of the room. 

Down the hall she runs, taking corners too hard, too tight. Nearly nocking into Peter before she slams her way into the stairwell. The door’s loud echo a soft whisper as blood rushes through her veins, adrenaline fueling her as she skips stairs in numerous pairs. The last two flights are jumped from landing to landing before she propels herself through the door and down the last short hallway. 

Sliding to a halt, (Y/N) barely registers the mechanical click of the doors to the garage unlocking. 

“Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths.” She mumbles to herself, steading her breathing and slowing her heart rate slightly. 

Opening the door, she sweeps the garage for signs of Tony. His ragged intake of breath alerting her to his location on the floor. Making as much noise as possible, (Y/N) makes her way over to him. 

His head is resting on his bent knees, shoulders jerking with each breath he takes. 

She whispers his name as if it were made of glass. His breath hitches at her voice.

Sitting next to him, she brings an arm around his shoulders pulling him toward her. 

“Come on Tony, let me see that pretty face.” 

Seeing his mop of hair shake lightly as he grunts, breath still ragged, she threads her free hand through his hair, alternating between petting and ruffling it. 

She sighs, remembering a time from their shared youth, when things were simpler. She shifts them so Tony’s leaning against her. He’s still shaking, he won’t make eye contact, won’t even open his eyes; still allowing the panic to aggressively course throughout his body. 

“Do you remember that one summer when we were kids? It was ungodly hot. We couldn’t sleep. Not unless...” (Y/N) almost laughs at the memory of Tony’s nanny singing them to sleep. Stroking his hair and face, she begins to softly sing the song she’ll never be able to forget. 

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy  
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high  
Oh, your daddy’s rich and your ma is good lookin’  
So hush, little baby, don’t you cry.” 

Tony’s stiff posture starts to slacken, his breathing begins to even out. 

“One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing  
And you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky  
But till that morning, there ain’t nothin’ can harm you  
With daddy and mammy standin’ by.”

Tony wraps an arm around her waist, holding her close to him. At Tony’s reaction to her, she stops singing and looks at him, smiling softly. 

“Hey Tony.” She whispers when she finally sees his brown eyes looking back at her. 

“Don’t stop.” 

(Y/N) sighs in contentment, getting Tony to talk so quickly and calmly was a good sign. She rests her head on his and continues to softly sing. The song easily being repeated. Eventually Tony joins her. Their voices mingle sweetly in the otherwise silent room. 

From the slightly open door, Steve can just hear them. A smile breaks across his face as he realizes Tony’s cousin knows the team better then they know themselves. And that maybe, just maybe everything will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the songs: Feel it Still by Portugal, the Man and Ella Fitzgerald’s Summertime.


End file.
